DM

Module 7: Early Cities and Power Differentiation

Module Overview

  • Date: 10/7/25

  • Module Number: 7

  • Learning Objectives:

    1. Recognize the components of typical early cities and explain how they relate to power differentiations.

    2. Identify and contrast different kinds of power.

    3. Articulate a basic theory of the formation of pristine states.

7.1 The Inequality Engine: Cities & Urban Civilizations

  • Era of Agrarian Civilizations:

    • Agriculture acquired approximately 6,000 years prior to the current era.

    • The societal stages in order:

    • Hunter Gathering

    • Controlled Fire

    • Agriculture

    • Farming

    • Industrialization

    • Today

Maps of Time Reading

  • Concept Analogy:

    • The formation of stars in the cosmos is compared to the formation of cities.

    • Focus on inequality as a product of surpluses leading to gradients of power and health disparities.

    • Reference: IMOT, Page 259.

Archaeological Evidence

  • Arzhan Tomb, Tuva Republic, Russia

    • Dating: 8th Century BCE

    • Dimensions: 100 m across, 5 m high

    • Social Classes Present:

    • Power Specialists

    • Slaves

    • Example: "Royal Standard" of Ur is dated at 4.6 kg, indicating wealth and power concentration.

    • Context: Differentiation based on wealth and power, leading to gender inequalities.

    • Example: A Sumerian statuette from a temple in Southern Mesopotamia, circa 2700 BCE captures these dynamics.

Agrarian Civilizations

  • Definition:

    • Large societies based on agriculture, representing the development of complex social structures.

Case Study: Cahokia (Mississipian City)

  • Location: East of St. Louis, Illinois

  • Peak Period: Around 900-1300 CE

  • Population Size: Largest native city north of Mexico with approximately 10,000-20,000 residents.

Social Structure of Cahokia

  • Hierarchy: 1. Commoners: Consisting of warriors, workers, and craftsmen.

    1. Leaders: Heads of clans and communities.

    2. The Elite: This includes sub-chiefs and priests.

    3. Great Sun: The chief at the top of the hierarchy.

Architectural Features

  • Monumental Architecture:

    • Families lived in pole and thatch houses surrounding the 120 mounds of the ancient city.

    • Key examples:

    • Ziggurat of Ur: Reconstruction illustrates the architectural sophistication, dated at 4.1 Ky BP (roughly 21st Century BCE).

    • Temple of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, dated from the 9th to the 12th Century CE.